Miss Austen Regrets -- My Thoughts

[olde_fashioned]

Since this was part of the Complete Jane Austen season including ITV's laughable Manfield Park and the less-than-perfect Persuasion, I was dubious at best about what to expect from Miss Austen Regrets. I had thought it would be lame and sentimental without any substance, and riddled with inaccuracies. Having watched this last night, I was most pleasantly surprised.

I am going to say again that ever since seeing the Kate Beckinsale adaptation of Emma with Olivia Williams as Jane Fairfax (who played Jane Austen in Miss Austen Regrets) I have always believed she would be an excellent Jane Austen if she ever got the chance to play her. Imagine my surprise (and delight!) when I learned she would indeed get the chance.

Now for the review, which, due to my rather liking the film, is not very sarcastic, I'm afraid. Apologies to those of you who came here hoping for a laugh. ;-)



I feel morally obligated to declare upfront that I am shamefully less knowledgeable about Jane herself than I am her novels, so as for all the subtleties and smaller details about her life I am not sure how accurate they were. But on the whole, I thought the filmmakers gave a proper amount of respect to JA's memory and that they did try to do her justice without splicing her life with some soap opera in an effort to create entertaining television. Principally centering around Jane's relationship with her young and romantically-minded niece, Fanny Austen-Knight, there is also a lot of Jane's closeness with her older sister Cassandra.

There were no objectionable scenes, no seductions, and no voice-overs of salacious novels, so on that score I am completely satisfied. ;-) Other than ladies clad in undergarments and low-necked gowns, there is nothing to blush at. (having said that, Regency undergarments are a good deal more modest than most modern examples of outerwear!!) Other than one rather confusing relationship with a strange "suitor" with a wife still living (!) even though she was dying, I still want to shout, Rochester! Rochester! Or no -- Grandcourt! Grandcourt! since he played the creepy husband in Daniel Deronda. lol.

Olivia Williams did not disappoint as Jane. She was as clever and witty, as flirtatious and charming, or as sombre and pained as the occasion (and script) required. One of the things that I love about JA's novels is the multi-layered nature of the plots and characters. No one and nothing is as simple as it seems, and the people are faceted and realistically flawed at least in some degree. (Mr. Knightley and Fanny Price being the exceptions, lol) Perhaps the reason JA's stories are so "layered" is because she was so complex herself? Perhaps. We will really never know, since so little has survived other than her letters and of course her novels. [Note: contrary to popular belief, there ARE NO DIARIES of Jane Austen. I caught Gillian Anderson saying the dreaded "D" word in her introduction, tsk tsk.] I think that this movie did an admirable job of depicting Jane in a probable light, rather than making her a love-lorn spinster who had dozens of lost loves locked up in her closet. We see her light-hearted and playful with her niece, teasing and humorous, and yes, melancholy and perhaps even regretful, as the title implies.

I was delighted that the writers had thought to include the creation of Persuasion throughout the duration of the film! It was also a clever way to hint at Jane's frame of mind, since Anne Elliot was older, unmarried, and regretful. There was a scene where Jane is reading aloud a particularly sad portion of her new story to her sister Cassandra as she works in the kitchen, and the servant girls are quietly standing in the corner, enraptured and totally absorbed by the story. When she stops, looking up for approval, Cassandra remarks that it's a wonder how she can read it with dry eyes. Very nice touch, IMO.

The cinematography was spectacular (almost akin to the 2005 P&P, but not quite) and the music was suitably lovely and demure at the same time. None of that overpowering, ostentatious old Hollywood "stuff". There were plenty of clever references to JA's novels and letters, and she even quotes her own characters, if you listen closely. (in one scene she quips Charlotte Lucas, "Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance") Jane teases a professing admirer that he will have to give proof of his reading silly feminine romantic novels, and he promptly obliges her with an observation on Lizzy's feeling for Darcy. There is also one rather sneaky reference to Cassandra's drawing of Jane from behind, one of the only genuine images of Jane Austen surviving today. They didn't show the drawing, but the clue is there if you look. ;-)

Towards the end Jane is discussing her new novel about a certain heroine named Emma, and she confesses to her brother that she is worried that no one will like her. I had the sudden urge to wave wildly at the television screen and say, "*I* like her, *I* like her!" in order to reassure Jane that at least one person in the world was fond of "her Emma". Now how lame is that??? *blush* Oh, yes, and when Jane's mother blames her for being selfish and not marrying to support her family, I cried. I did! And I cried even more when Jane sat one last time with Cassandra, as they "opened their hearts" to each other. *sniff, sniff*

I liked the actress who played Fanny, and I would like to see her in another costume drama. Unfortunately the hairdresser seemed to think she resembled Kate Winslet's Marianne Dashwood...

I'm afraid I haven't much to say this time around, other than I enjoyed seeing "our Jane" brought to life with a decent amount of respect. (BTW -- I have not seen Becoming Jane yet, and quite frankly I don't expect to like it.) But I did enjoy "MAR" so expect a batch of icons in the future! Mwhahaaaa!!!!

Comments

[yeshua-myprince.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed your review and must agree. :) I thought it was a delightful film. I too am not that 'up' on all of Jane Austen herself...but found this to be delightful and so much better than Becoming Jane! :) And amen! No seductions or racy book passages read. Hallelujah! :)
I loved Cassandra and Jane's relationship...it was so sweet. :)
What did you think of Mr.Haden? And her flirtation and dissapointment with him?

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Thank you! And I'll be sure to compare BJ to this once I've seen it. ;-)

Well at first I thought I would like him. But then when he was practically encouraging Jane's flirting, I thought he was being cruel. And his flirting with Fanny while Jane was in the same room (AFTER he'd just finished flirting with her!!) was plain disgusting. You?

[yeshua-myprince.livejournal.com]

I look forward to your thoughts on Becoming Jane. There is a youtube video I shall have to give you the link to once you see it. Very mocking of BJ, but rightly so. :)

Mr. Haden was lovely at first, I liked him, but had a horrible feeling about him. I told my Mom "there is going to be something wrong with him, a wife, or something!"
And I was right. He was just toying with her delicate heart, and my heart just about broke for her when he transfered his favor to Fanny. Nasty man! And oh you are so right about Grandcourt. Ugh. That actor shall ever be imprinted on my mind as the terrible Grandcourt.
Yes or no to Mr. Plumtree? :)

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Oh, okay then!

I'm afraid it's a no for Mr. Plumtree, too. He was a prig, and made such a stink over his principles, only to abandon them in the end and dance with her anyway? And if he couldn't look past her "laughing aunt" if he loved the neice, then he didn't deserve Fanny, anyway.

Ooooh I think that's the new S&S in your icon! And it looks like Colonel Brandon sweeping Marianne across the threshold!!! Aaaaahhhhh!!!!!!!!

[zaftig46.livejournal.com]

Hah! I caught the Kate Winslet-imitating as well, especially as the 1995 S&S was on another channel at the same time!

The bit where Jane asks Fanny, "would you choose my life?" (After Phyllida Law as Mrs Austen lays into Jane for not marrying), was also a play on a quote from Charlotte Lucas: don't you dare pity me!

I did think that the visual allusions to the intimate nature of her ruminations by having every one of those scenes in the bedroom while she is in her unmentionables was a bit tedious, but I liked that in the end, it was uncompromising. They didn't make her Hollywood-esque. There was no deathbed confession of undying affection, and no easy solutions for the rest of her family, either.

So like you, I was also pleasantly surprised!

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Oooh, that's funny. I even thought Jane lying in bed with Fanny bouncing beside her was very like S&S.

I don't remember Charlotte saying that! Do you have an excerpt? Now you've got me curious!

Now this might sound awful, but I like the corset and chemise scenes. I love period undergarments, and I love seeing them in movies, so you'll not get any complaints from me on that score I'm afraid!!

I did find myself wishing for a rainy funeral complete with black umbrellas and distraught relatives, just to show the ignorant audience members that she had indeed died, and not run off with some man. ;-) But this is only a minor quibble...

[watching-ships.livejournal.com]

I must wholeheartedly agree with your review. As I started to watch the film last night, I was not sure how I would feel about it, but the entire thing was a very pleasant surprise.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

I agree. It was very pleasant and moving at the same time.

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

Alas, I'm afraid I did not like it as much as you. I have seen BJ, and while it isn't really remotely accurate I still enjoyed it. (Reminded me a little of Roman Holiday.) I just had to forget that it was Jane and pretend like I was only watching a period drama. (The second time I saw it I left during the Naughty Scenes, and it really makes a good film when you take them out.) Though this version is probably more close to reality, I didn't like it. Let's see now...

First, I never imagined Jane as being a flirt. In all her novels, the flirts are the fools, and normally end up in trouble. (Capt. Wentworth, for example, nearly is forced into a marriage for flirting too much.) I think that a girl can be clever and witty with a man without being a shameless flirt. (At least I hope so, since I normally let loose wit and sarcasm when in conversation!) Perhaps she might have been a flirt in a younger age, but I find a mature woman flirting to be a bit repulsive. I hated the bit she did with the pastor--even if she was just making fun, he obviously wasn't catching on, and it was embarrassing.

Secondly, half the time she was running around drunk. Jane is one of the few authors who seems to be fairly normal, and I didn't like how she was tipsy so much. Perhaps it was just part of the times. But it was awkward.

Third, the doctor-man romance was a little odd. It reminded me of Ladies in Lavender, a bit. (Though Ladies in Lavender went smoother because the whole movie was about her longing for the youth she'd lost.) It also made Jane look like she couldn't be content if she wasn't the jewel in every man's eyes, which made her look shallow.

I thought it was funny that every man she meets has read and loved her books. (Excepting the boy who liked her niece.)

Lastly, the plot was jerky and didn't have a climax for me. It felt like shoving a bunch of thoughts and scenes together to make you feel sorry for Jane, and then killing her at the end. BJ at least had a beginning, middle and end.

For the sake of being fair, I did like the niece a lot. And I liked a few lines (though some were so cheesy--halfway between a man and an angel? Christian novels, anyone?). The filmmaking was lovely--not quite as good as BJ or P&P '05, but good. The soundtrack was fairly nice--not as good as either of those, but good. :) Acting was fine, yadda yadda.

I did notice a few little stabs at BJ throughout the movie, some sneers at it and such. That was somewhat amusing. *toddler whines and points finger at offending brother* Hehe.

Well, you have forced me to be severe by your favorable review. I apologize and exit. :D

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

Unrelated, mostly: Is Mr. Bingley in the new Cranford?? I'll have to watch it if he is!

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0974077/)

Edit: Well, I answered my own question, and it is! He is a little bit odd looking...But still, it looks sweet. :D

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

I am utterly astonisheD!!! I saw his picture in an icon and liked it, and asked what it was from only to be told Cranford. I had not the slightest clue he was Mr. Bingley! He looks so different.

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

I didn't know it was by Gaskell, either. *very curious to see*

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

I wasn't crazy about Roman Holiday, and I expect to be even less so of Becoming Jane. The fact that it has naughty scenes also makes me strongly disinclined to want to purchase it, if indeed something so miraculous as my liking it were to happen. *snort*

I do think that JA was a bit of a flirt, although whether or not that trait lingered until her older years I have no idea. I didn't mind it, since it wasn't mean-spirited flirting with a desire to attach and wound, but it was a pleasant, agreeable sort of lets-be-silly type flirting. Not that I condone flirting, mind. The fact remains that JA did have a very sharp wit, and I intend that to be a pun. Some of the things she said were very cutting and humourous at the same time, so the movie's keeping that didn't bother me as much as a sugar coated depiction of JA would have.

Oh yes, the drinking. I didn't care for that, but I didn't get the impression that she was an alcoholic or anything.

At first I thought I would like the doctor since I usually always do like them as characters, but in the end I thought he was a vicious flirt. I haven't seen Ladies in Lavender. Is it any good, and "watchable"?

I agree that the ending was not as strong as it could have been. A funeral would have been helpful.

Yes, that was lame. Was the filmmaking in BJ really good? I like the promo pics for their "artistic" value. I still can't get past Anne Hathaway the AMERICAN as Jane Austen. Grrrr...

No need to apologize for your opinions! We all have them! ;-)

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

Oh, Roman Holiday is one of my favorite movies of all time. Duty over passion any day. Which is what BJ ended up being. And I doubt I'll buy it, for those same reasons. But I do think it makes a decent film, and I do really like a few scenes in it.

I understand that. But I'd rather have had her being witty and playful without flirting. It frustrated me a bit that she was full of herself... I mean, she had a right to be to an extent. I liked when her old boyfriend told her to shape up when he caught her spying on the men. (Btw, "the one with the heavenly body?" um...) It frustrated me that for the rest of the movie he's apologizing about telling her what she needed to hear.

I didn't think she was addicted or whatever. It just was a little much sometimes.

Ladies in Lavender is...interesting. I think that it is a good movie, if you can get over the fact that it's about an old woman having a crush on a young man. (Mr. Darcy's aunt is the main character, btw. She's a wonderful actress.) But I thought it was good... bittersweet, about an old maid realizing that she is always going to be an old maid, and letting go of the romantic dream every girl has.

The ending was confusing to me. I wish we could've seen more of Fanny's farmer boy, too.

Anne Hathaway makes a good Jane, I think, besides being American. She has a very innocent face, if that makes sense. Anyway. It was good. Lovely really close ups and such.

;)

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

I liked that about it too, but I hated all the lies.

Stop, you're going to spoil it for me!!!! 8-/

You've got a point there.

Oh yes, Judi Dench! I think she's great, and I like watching As Time Goes By because it's so funny.

Yeah, we never got to "meet" the infamous widower with six children. ;-)

She is tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me. What I'm REALLY worried about is her accent! I hate bad British accents.

[sabrinafair2.livejournal.com]

I loved this mini-series. Yay! For a smart and snarky Jane Austen, rather than one who had several affairs, etc.

Don't even bother to see Hathaway's horrendous portrayal of Austen, this one is far more superior. I'm hoping that it might even be nominated for some Emmys or other awards, since it impressed me so much.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Whoo hoo! Amen to that. ;-)

Nevertheless I am going to, if for no other reason than I promised a friend that I would. Plus my curiosty might get the best of me. ;-)

[marissa-214.livejournal.com]

I missed it because of *that athletic event* but I hope to find it somewhere to watch soon. Your review gives me hope!

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. What are men sports to rocks and mountains literary adaptations? ;-)

[littleflower518.livejournal.com]

I have been waiting for this review from you!! lol
I really enjoyed it too, and I was dying to know what you thought...since I have come to think of you as a JA pro!! lol
I was hoping they would show the picture her sister was painting...I didn't know the story behind that...I found myself wondering what Jane really looked like.
For some reason, it was important to me that you liked it, and I'm so glad you did!
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE THESE REVIEWS OF YOURS!!!! Please make sure that you keep them up!
Have a pretty week L!

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Gosh Lindy! I'm flattered you like this so much!! :-D I'm not a JA pro, you know, but it feels nice to have you say that. lol! ;-)

There are at least two "accepted" portraits of JA, the first link, where she is sitting is the one I think they were intending to "create" in the movie.

http://www.janeaustensoci.freeuk.com/media/jane2.jpg

http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/jacportr.jpg

[littleflower518.livejournal.com]

Thank you for sharing the pictures!
I have a question for you...If you *HAD* to pick your FAVORITE Jane Austen BOOK...which would it be?? I want to buy an Austen book for my trip on the plane in a couple of weeks.
Thank you!!
Lindy Lou

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

My pleasure! Thanks for putting up with my Austenian obsession, haha.

Emma, with Pride & Prejudice a close second. I loved the small town, cozy, domestic nature of Emma, and without spoiling it for you in case you haven't read it, it has my favourite hero. ;-D (but this is reallyreally hard for me to say because I own and love all her novels!!!)

I hope you enjoy your trip Lindy! May I ask where you are going?

[untasted.livejournal.com]

I completely agree. I didn't like that adaptation of Mansfield Park much myself either--it felt too rushed and simply very off from the book--but I was unbelievably pleased with Miss Austen Regrets. I wouldn't mind seeing it again and again and again. I think I would like to own it. (: I'm not sure if I'll watch for the next few weekends or so (I already own the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice), but I can't wait to see Emma and Sense and Sensibility (I haven't seen this version yet). Have you reviewed the other adaptations? I'm curious about your opinion of Northanger Abbey. I'll have to look through your journal.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

I think I might have to watch MAR again sometime soon. ;-)

Yes, I have reviewed all of the Jane Austen Season so far -- Persuasion, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, and you already know about Miss Austen Regrets. I've tagged them with the "!movie reviews" tag if you'd like to read the rest of them. :-)